HUNTINGTON BEACH : Harmless ‘Gas’ Leak Raises a Big Stink

The accidental release of a foul-smelling but apparently harmless chemical additive from the Chevron USA gas plant in Huntington Beach Friday morning led to a scare that there had been a hazardous gas leak in the area, authorities said.

Calls began pouring in to the Huntington Beach Fire Department around 9:40 a.m. from people who said they smelled gas in the air, and at least one business near the Chevron plant on Golden West Street was evacuated until it was determined where the smell was coming from, according to fire Capt. Fred Craig.

The smell was traced to tetrahydrothiophene, the chemical additive used to give natural gas an odor. Fire officials believe the agent is harmless; no injuries were reported.

Chuck Swallows, Chevron’s plant foreman, said the chemical was emitted from the plant accidentally when workers released the pressure on a relief valve they were trying to remove and repair. Swallows said the release lasted less than five seconds.